CJ: NRD’s requirement is reasonable

PUTRAJAYA: Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim has ruled that the National Registration Department had reasonably required Lina Joy to get a certificate of apostasy from the Syariah Court.

This would allow the court to proceed to make a deletion (of the word ‘Islam’) from her identity card.

The top judge also ruled that since the Syariah Court had the jurisdiction over cases involving conversion to Islam, it should, by implication, have the power to decide on apostasy matters.

“I do not see any defect in the 1999 Federal Court judgement in the case of Soon Singh (which decided on the same grounds and which led to the provision for Muslims to state their religion in their identity card).

“To say that she is not under the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court – because she no longer professes Islam – is not appropriate,” said Ahmad Fairuz in his 41-page judgment.

He added that the way one leaves a religion is set by the religion itself.

“No one is stopping her from marrying. She is merely required to fulfil certain obligations, for the Islamic authorities to confirm her apostasy, before she embraces Christianity.

“In other words, one cannot embrace or leave a religion according to one’s whims and fancies.”

He said a mere statutory declaration that one has renounced Islam is not sufficient to remove the word “Islam” from a Muslim person’s identity card.

“This is because apostasy is an issue dealing with Islamic laws.

“Therefore, the NRD has adopted the policy that requires verification by the religious authorities or the Syariah Court before the department can delete the word.

“Therefore, I agree with the Court of Appeal’s majority judgment that the NRD’s policy is completely reasonable,” said Ahmad Fairuz.

Federal Court dismiss Lina Joy’s appeal

LINA Joy has lost her long battle to have her religious status adjudicated by the country’s civil laws.

A three-judge Federal Court panel ruled by a 2-1 majority that only the syariah court
has the power to determine whether a person is still a Muslim based on Islamic law.
It said Lina, born Azlina Jailani, should obtain a syariah court order confirming her
apostasy before the NRD could remove the word “Islam” from her identity card…

Lina ‘must go to syariah court’

PUTRAJAYA: Lina Joy lost her long battle through the courts yesterday to have her religious status adjudicated under the country’s civil laws.

The Federal Court rejected her appeal for the removal of the word “Islam” from her identity card, saying the issue of conversion should be dealt with by the syariah court.The three-judge panel, comprising Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Datuk Richard Malanjum and Datuk Alauddin Mohd Sheriff, ruled 2-1 against Lina, who has been trying to effect the change for nine years.Ahmad Fairuz, with Alauddin concurring and Malanjum dissenting, said in a 42-page judgment that there were three issues that needed to be decided:

• Whether the National Registration Department was entitled in law to impose a requirement for a person to produce a declaration from the syariah court before deleting the word “Islam” from the person’s IC.
• Whether the NRD was correct to impose the requirement when it was not expressly provided for in the regulations, and;
• Whether a prior case of religious conversion had been rightly decided when the court declared that Islamic matters were under the jurisdiction of the syariah court.Ahmad Fairuz said he agreed with the NRD that it could not accept the statutory declaration provided by Lina that she was no longer a Muslim.

“If this is done, those born and educated as Muslims may also choose to remain ignorant, or, in wanting to prevent persecution from Islamic laws, may declare themselves to be renouncing the religion.

“This would result in Muslim society being ostracised. For this reason, in the majority decision I feel that a statutory declaration to the NRD to determine a person’s religion was insufficient for the word ‘Islam’ to be removed.”Lina, 43, born Azlina Jailani, had managed to change her name in her identity card, but her religion remained listed as Islam. She made several applications between 1998 and 2000 to remove the word, but these were rejected.

“The NRD officer was acting within his powers to seek documentary statements as reference which he felt necessary to support any application.

“Reference here need not mean that the syariah court had the jurisdiction to delete the word “Islam” in the identity card. The syariah court is only required to determine whether the appellant was still a Muslim based on Islamic law.”

Ahmad Fairuz said the court felt that the determination of whether a person had renounced Islam was within the realm of Islamic law, and that the right authority was thus the syariah court.”Hence, the NRD’s reluctance to react until it received certification from an Islamic authority like the syariah court was logical,” he said.
Lina had sought legal redress at the High Court, naming the Federal Territory Islamic Council, the government and the director-general of the NRD as respondents.
On April 23, 2001, the court dismissed her application on the grounds that the issue should be decided by the syariah court. It also held that as a Malay and a Muslim, she could not convert.

She took her case to the Court of Appeal and, on Sept 19, 2005, was again turned down by a 2-1 decision. She then appealed to the nation’s highest court.”If a person professes and practises Islam, he should be following Islamic laws including his conversion or renunciation,” Ahmad Fairuz said.

“That is what is meant by adopting and practising Islam. What the NRD did was to ascertain whether Lina had renounced the religion. I do not see it as an infringement to freedom of religion as provided in the Constitution.”

On the third issue before the court, Ahmad Fairuz felt that the case had been correctly decided.In that case, Soon Singh had applied to renounce Islam and the High Court declared that jurisdiction on Islamic matters belonged to the syariah court.

The Federal Court, where the case went on appeal, also affirmed that it had no express provisions to deal with apostasy and that the issue came under the purview of the syariah court.

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I never attended any of Sulaiman Abdullah’s, Pawan Chik Merican’s, Zulkifli Nordin’s and/or Zainur Zakaria’s organized events, which include PEMBELA and Muslim Lawyers Association, to explain their opposition on the case and all the cases within the same jurisprudence. Once I sat in Alumni Kelab UMNO meeting sometime last year and Assoc. Prof. Noraziah Awab presented the case on these apostasy issues. I did not pay attention. I did not even bother to read the paper she presented, which was circulated to all Exco. I simply bloody don’t give a toss about it.

However, people like my best friend did. Sometime last year, he went to the Wilayah Persekutuan mosque thingy and some other forum organised by ABIM on this issue (its so insignificant to me that I don’t actually remember when it was! – I am usually very meticulous with dates).

“15,000 people showed up at the Wilayah Persekutuan mosque”, he always reminded me. For our friendship’s sake, I take his word for it (although I seriously doubt his accuracy on these sort of things). I keep saying to him, that I don’t understand why the loud reaction against issues like this. This is far reaching beyond the issues what and how it was presented.

Personally, I don’t bloody give a toss what people like Lina Joy wants to do with her life and her faith. But something changed my impartiality to this case.

I attended a briefing organized by some practicing lawyers who are Pro-Article 11 movement. I went there with an open mind. The opening gambit was “The Constitution of the Federation of Malaysia is the Supreme Law”. They then explained the merits and demerits of all the cases involving the issues that surround the Lina Joy case, at length.

However, they started rubbishing the learned Judges who made the decision against the interests of this group. They mock the Judges and their ruling. They used phrases like “The Syariah Court is an inferior court compared to the High Court”. They want us to respect the Constitution but they cannot respect when the Constitution was interpreted? Just because Federal Court and Court of Appeal Judges ruled and interpreted the Constitution against their interests?

That’s it! Now I have a position. I am against the Pro-Article 11 movement and ALL the cases that relate to that. In fact, I loathe the arrogance and ‘diabolical’ attempt to belittle and demean Judges who made the ruling against these group’s interests. Why? This Kurang-Ajarness of the minority is very clear now. They narrowly define, exploit, manipulate, systematically test it for loop-holes and hide behind the Constitution of the Federation of Malaysia and not respect the interests of the majority.

(*addendum) Maybe they systematically want to challenge, defy and insult the Judiciary, the Constitution of the Federation of Malaysia, interests of the majority (reflected on the changes brought forth by the democratically elected Government and majority that support the Government) and the position of HRH Malay Rulers as defenders of the faith in this country.

As I remember it, the law exists to protect the interests of the majority. Now that the Chief Justice has interpreted the Constitution of the Federation of Malaysia, it becomes a precedence.

My darling Girl-Girl is now a wordpress blogger. She started her wordpress blog yesterday, against my knowledge as she used my notebook as her platform (this notebook was programmed to handle ONLY this wordpress blog!).

Anyhow, I did teach her a thing or two about using wordpress, which include how to attach photos. I also helped her on the fonts, spacing etc. The item and story is all hers.

The case on Lina Joy is almost exhaustive. They went up to the highest court and failed to omit the word “Islam” from her MyKad. Lina Joy, born into a Muslim family as Azlina Jailani, embraced Christianity since 1998, failed to get the ruling of National Registration Department (NRD) to officially recognise that she is no longer a Muslim since 1999, ruled then by Justice Dato’ Faiza Thamby Chik.

Her second application to the NRD to change her name in Nov 1999, however, was approved but the new identity card issued listed her as a Muslim.

On Feb 2, 1997, she applied to the NRD to change her name to Lina Joy on the grounds that she had converted to Christianity but it was rejected on Aug 11, 1997.

Federal Court Dismisses Lina Joy’s Appeal To Drop Islam In IC

PUTRAJAYA, May 30 (Bernama) — Azlina Jailani, the woman who converted to Christianity, today failed in her appeal to get the Federal Court to compel the National Registration Department (NRD) to drop the word “Islam” from her identity card.

In a 2-1 majority decision, the court ruled that Azlina, 42, who changed her name to Lina Joy, should obtain a Syariah Court order confirming her apostasy before the department could delete the word.

Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim said the NRD had the right to require Lina Joy to produce an order from the Syariah Court to confirm that she had renounced the Islamic religion if she wanted to delete the word “Islam” in her identity card.

Lina had appealed to the Federal Court after the Court ot Appeal in a 2-1 majority decision on Sept 19, 2005, prevented her from deleting the word “Islam” from her identity card on the grounds that her renounciation of Islam had not been validated by the Syariah Court or any other lawful Islamic authorities.

She made the appeal to the Appeals Court after the High Court in April 2001 ruled that as a Muslim she could not renounce Islam and that the matter of renounciation must be decided by the Syariah Court.

Lina named the Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Council, the government of Malaysia and NRD director-general Datuk Wan Ibrahim Wan Ahmad as the respondents in her appeal.

Malaysia rejects Christian appeal

Ms Joy was disowned by her family and forced to quit her job

Malaysia’s highest court has rejected a Muslim convert’s six-year battle to be legally recognised as a Christian.A three-judge panel ruled that only the country’s Sharia Court could let Azlina Jailani, now known as Lina Joy, remove the word Islam from her identity card.

Malaysia’s constitution guarantees freedom of worship but says all ethnic Malays are Muslim. Under Sharia law, Muslims are not allowed to convert.

Ms Joy said she should not be bound by that law as she is no longer a Muslim.

About 200 protesters shouted “Allah-o-Akbar” (God is great) outside the court when the ruling was announced.

“You can’t at whim and fancy convert from one religion to another,” Ahmad Fairuz said.

Ms Joy’s case has tested the limits of religious freedom in Malaysia.

She started attending church in 1990 and was baptised in 1998.

In 2000, Ms Joy, 42, went to the High Court after the National Registration Department refused to remove “Islam” from the religion column on her identity card. The court said it was a matter for Sharia courts. Tuesday’s ruling marked the end of her final appeal.

Ms Joy has been disowned by her family and forced to quit her job. She went into hiding last year. A Muslim lawyer who supported her case received death threats.

Sharia courts decide on civil cases involving Malaysian Muslims – nearly 60% of the country’s 26 million people – while ethnic minorities such as Chinese and Indians are governed by civil courts in the multi-racial country.

************

These are The Star’s, www.thestar.com.my, take on the same story and their previous stories related to the same issue:

Wednesday May 30, 2007

Crucial decision in Lina Joy case

By SHAILA KOSHY

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Court judgment today on the Lina Joy appeal will be a historic one with legal and social repercussions, whichever way the decision goes.

This decision by the apex court will affect one’s constitutional freedom to choose one’s religion as well as who one can marry, especially for those who want to renounce Islam and for people who convert to Islam but later want to revert to their former religion.

The judgment, which was reserved on July 4 last year, will clarify whether conversion is a religious matter or a constitutional matter.

Lina Joy, 42, who was born to a Malay Muslim couple, became a Christian when she was 26.

The sales assistant has taken her case all the way to the Federal Court because unless the government recognises her conversion, she cannot get married under civil law.

While Lina managed – the second time around – to get the National Registration Department to change her name from Azlina Jailani in 1999, accepting that she had renounced Islam, it refused to remove the word “Islam” from her MyKad.

The NRD said it could not do so without a syariah court order certifying she had renounced Islam.

As long as the word “Islam” remains on her identity card, Lina cannot marry her Christian boyfriend, a cook, under the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976.

In 2001, she took her case against the NRD director-general, the Government and the Federal Territory Religious Council to the High Court.

She lost – Justice Faiza Tamby Chik held that Malays could not renounce Islam because a Malay was defined in the Constitution as “a person who professes the religion of Islam,” adding it was the syariah court that had the jurisdiction in matters related to apostasy.

Lina appealed to the Court of Appeal and lost again, this time in a majority decision – Justices Abdul Aziz Mohamed and Arifin Zakaria upheld the decision of the NRD but Justice Gopal Sri Ram said it was null and void.

WAS the NRD entitled to require a person to produce a certificate or a declaration or an order from the syariah court before deleting “Islam” from his or her identity card;

DID the NRD correctly construe its powers under the National Registration Regulations 1990 when it imposed the above requirement, which is not expressly provided for in the regulations?; and

WAS the landmark case Soon Singh vs Perkim Kedah – which held that syariah courts have the authority over the civil courts to hear cases of Muslims renouncing Islam – correctly decided? While Datuk Cyrus Das appeared for Lina Joy, Senior Federal Counsel Datuk Umi Khaltum Jamid appeared for the NRD director-general and the Government and Sulaiman Abdullah appeared for the religious council.

Wednesday July 5, 2006Counsel: Islam can’t be renounced at will

Wednesday July 5, 2006Counsel: Islam can’t be renounced at willPutrajaya: Senior Federal Counsel Datuk Umi Kalthum Abd Majid, who appeared for the Government and the NRD director-general, said this was because Lina is still a Muslim, unlike a non-Muslim who is only subjected to the civil courts.

“The issue of renunciation is a matter pertaining to the akidah (faith) of a Muslim transgressed into the realism of the Syariah Law, which needs serious consideration and proper interpretation of such laws,” she said.

“As such, only the Syariah Court and/or bodies are qualified to make such a determination.”

Umi added that a proper determination of the status of the purported renunciation of Islam by Lina, being a Muslim, is important as the determination will take her out of the application of the Syariah Laws and out of the jurisdiction of the Syariah Courts.

She said there was no relevance to make references to Article 11(1) of the Federal Constitution, as Lina was not prohibited from renouncing her religion.

“The issue here is that, in order to renounce Islam, she must go to the proper channels as provided by law and she cannot renounce her religion, Islam, at will,” she said.

Tuesday July 4, 2006

The Lina Joy case: Right not infringed on

By CHELSEA L.Y. NG

PUTRAJAYA: Compelling a Muslim to get an apostasy order from the Syariah Court to renounce his or her religion does not infringe on a person’s Constitutional right to profess another religion, the Federal Court heard.Sulaiman Abdullah said the Federal Territories Administration of Islamic Law Act 1994, which conferred on the religious council the power to govern Muslims, was consistent with the Constitution.

“The Act was created to smoothen the administration of Islam among Muslims so that the harmony and well-being of the community are protected,” he said yesterday.“The provisions strike the correct balance between individual rights and the interest of public order,” added Sulaiman.Lina Joy is appealing against the Court of Appeal’s majority decision on Sept 19, last year, which ruled that the National Registration Department director-general was right in not allowing her application to delete the word “Islam” from her identity card.The ruling was on the grounds that the Syariah Court and other Islamic religious authorities did not confirm her renunciation of Islam.In his submission, Sulaiman said the constitutional issue must be viewed historically.

“We have to take into account that Islam was here from the 13th century. The Malay Sultanate became Muslim and, later, its people,” he said, adding that the system was interrupted with the intrusion of colonial powers.

“The law that was applied then was Islamic law and several centuries later, Malaysia became a fully Islamic country.”

He said everything about the Malays then was governed by Islam and Malay customs. On the other hand, British law was limited and based on Christianity.

“Unfortunately, the British were the stronger party and had their way on what should be Malay customs and Muslim law,” he said, questioning the need to conform to the British legal system after the country’s independence.

Sulaiman said the Malaysian Constitution was unique in that it had a special place for Islam.

He added, however, that Muslims could not declare their renunciation of Islam without the involvement of religious authorities because there would be Constitutional repercussions.

“For instance, one may declare himself a Muslim in the morning and by the evening he is not a Muslim. Or, he is a Muslim when it’s time for zakat and not a Muslim during the fasting month,” he said.

This prompted Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim to ask: “Are you saying that a Buddhist can be a Buddhist in the morning and a Christian in the evening?”

Sulaiman answered there was nothing to stop anyone from doing so.

He said several legal representatives of non-governmental organisations had, in their submissions last week, made attacks on the position of Islam.

“That is a total reversal of what the Government had set out to achieve,” he said.

The NGOs had supported the view of Justice Gopal Sri Ram, who gave his dissenting judgment in the Court of Appeal, that the NRD’s refusal to make the amendment in Lina’s identity card without an order or certificate from the Syariah Court was null and void.

On April 23, 2001, the High Court refused to decide on Lina’s application to renounce Islam on the ground that the Syariah Court should decide the issue.

The appeal continues today.

Friday June 30, 2006

NRD has right to require apostasy order, says counsel

PUTRAJAYA: The National Registration Department (NRD) has an implied power to require Lina Joy to submit to it an apostasy order from the Syariah Court.

This is provided for under the National Registration Regulations, said Senior Federal Counsel Datuk Umi Kalthum Abdul Majid, adding that the implied power was necessary and appropriate for the NRD to carry out its purpose.

She said the National Registration (Amendment) Regulations 2000, which were brought into force retrospectively on Oct 1, 1999, included a provision to compel a Muslim to state his religion.

She said although the regulations were gazetted in March 2000, the NRD was allowed to place the word “Islam” on identity cards from Oct 1, 1999.

Umi Kalthum said the regulations were procedural and, therefore, could be applied retrospectively to identity cards from Oct 1, 1999. This included Lina’s application to change her name in her identity card.

“The rights of the individual, the appellant (Lina) in this case, would not be affected,” she said.

She said the contention of Lina’s counsel Datuk Cyrus Das – that the NRD had tricked Lina into making a statutory declaration without revealing her change of religion in order to get her name changed from Azlina Jailani to Lina Joy – was unjustified.

“Malaysians are very helpful people and the appellant (Lina) was very anxious to make the change. That was not a proper thing to say,” Umi Kalthum said, adding that Das’ insinuation that NRD conspired to thwart Lina’s efforts could not be sustained.

Justice Richard Malanjum then interjected, “Readers’ Digest would not agree with you,” in an apparent reference to a survey in Kuala Lumpur by the publication which revealed that Malaysians were a rude lot.

Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim allowed Federal Territory Religious Council counsel Sulaiman Abdullah to adjourn his submissions to Monday after the lawyer told the court that he was ill.

Sulaiman was not present on the first day of the appeal at the Federal Court on Wednesday as he was attending a conference.

At the end of yesterday’s proceedings, Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz told assistant counsel Halimahtun Saadiah Abdul Rahman that if Sulaiman was still unwell she would have to make the submissions instead.

***************************

So It is the damnest luck for those who lost. Now that the Federal Constitution has been interpreted by the most learned men in the nation, lets ALL respect that.

The Malay Rulers as the Protectors of the Islamic faith will never granta royal assent to allow Lina Joy’s request to follow through and overturn the Federal Court ruling today. Again, the interests of the majority have been protected against the interests of a deviant.

The Prime Minister of Kuwait, HE Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah paid a courtesy call on former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at his private residence, Seri Cahaya, The Mines Resort, 11 am today. He was accompanied by someone from the Office of the Emir of Kuwait, the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Malaysia and four others.

HE Prime Minister Sheikh Al-Sabah brought personal salam and greetings from the Emir of Kuwait, HRH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The courtesy call was also to pay homage to Tun Dr. Mahathir for his recent admission at IJN for heart attack related respiratory ailments, two weeks ago.

They discussed bi-lateral economic issues between the two nation. The economic development of Kuwait was also discussed, on top of the progress of the development of Putrajaya, Tun Dr. Mahathir’s brainchild of a new administrative capital for the Malaysian Government. HE Prime Minister Sheikh Al-Sabah is in Kuala Lumpur for the World Islamic Economic Forum.

The photos depicts how close the two statesmen are. This goodwill visit will strengthen the friendship between HRH the Emir of Kuwait, HE the Prime Minister of Kuwait and Tun Dr. Mahathir. It also will definitely boost Tun Dr. Mahathir’s spirit in his recuperation process.

At the end of the visit, HE Prime Minister Sheikh Al-Sabah extended an invitation for Tun Dr. Mahathir to visit the gulf Emir nation of Kuwait.

The Malaysian consumers often have to face the threat of price hike by suppliers and producers. Too many times over. So much hue and cry when this happens. Almost everyone runs around like headless wet hens.

Why is this happening? For one, producers and suppliers in Malaysia have a lot of power. It is because they can do a lot of things and get away with it. They can meddle with the quality of the goods and services and offer them at premium prices, and still get away with it.

How come? It’s so simple! Malaysian consumers are very weak. Malaysian consumers have a very lousy consumer attitude. They are consumers but they fail to exercise the power that they have, against the producers and suppliers. That is why they are bullied.

Whenever there are price hikes, consumers would rather ask the Government to protect them. “The Government should……..” is one of the over used phrase in the mouths of average Malaysians. The Malaysian consumers expect the Government to check on the prices and reprimand errand producers, suppliers and retailers, every single time.

The Malaysian consumers failed to deal with these price hikes. They are unable to organize themselves to restrain from consuming these products and goods. Boycott, for short. They are simply too lazy and obtuse to go for the next substance which could substitute the product which price went up. They give a million excuses why they will eventually give in and the producers and suppliers will not only win, but they will get away with it, almost all the time. For example, Malaysian consumers are unable to change their lifestyle and habit to eat without fried food or their food prepared without cooking oil rather then grouse over the increase of cooking oil prices.

BUKIT MERTAJAM:Teh tarik and other beverages containing condensed milked will cost 10 sen more now in Penang, Kedah and Perak.

Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Operators Association president K.K. Sihabutheen said this was enforced recently at all major nasi kandar outlets in the northern states and the price increase, agreed upon by the association’s 150 members, was also for drinks like Milo, coffee and Horlicks.

The rise in the price of condensed milk led to the hike, he said.

“A carton of 48 tins of condensed milk costs RM108.85 compared to RM99.85 a year ago. Our selling price of teh tarik is still low, almost the same as the hawker’s price,” he said.

He was speaking after a dialogue between Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Lau Chiek Tuan and association members here yesterday.

Sihabutheen said the roti canai price would remain at 60 sen per piece despite the recent the increase in all-purpose wheat flour price.

“We have been selling roti canai at 60 sen for the past 12 years, the cheapest in the country. We only make a profit of one sen as the cost to produce each piece is 59 sen,” he said.

The price of roti telur (roti canai with egg) would also be maintained at RM1.30 following a request by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, he said.

Sihabutheen said members had complained that the prices of several essential goods had gone up over the last two years.

“A 50kg tank of cooking gas has gone up from RM82 to RM145, while a 17kg tin of cooking oil is now RM50 compared to RM33.

“A kilo of margarine is up 30 sen from RM2.20. A kilo of dhal is now RM2.24 compared to RM1.80 previously, while a kilo of spices is up by RM1 from RM8,” he said.

Can the Malaysian consumers boycott the Teh Tarik and Roti Canai, till the price come down to a ‘reasonable’ level? Why not?

That is why Malaysian consumers are highly dependent on Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs and the price control mechanism of hundreds of products, especially food item and essential stuff.In the Malaysian history, there had been no successful or effective organized boycott of products and goods because of the indiscriminate price hike by the producers.

This is about the attitude of Malaysian consumers. The consumer power is a very powerful tool and it could be used wisely, for the benefit of the consumers. Unfortunately, Malaysian consumers have a very obtuse and complacent attitude, habit and lifestyle which got them at the losing end, every time.

It seemed Anwar Ibrahim was acting up again. Anwar played Hamlet, at this year PKR’s annual convention at ChungHwaHigh School, in Seremban. It was not exactly how William Shakespeare wrote it, but pretty much there.

Anwar had trumped up that he was contesting for the post of President of PKR, this year. 120 nominations received. He was ready to defy Registrar of Society’s (ROS) rules that a convicted criminal is barred from holding office of any organization within five years of one’s release from serving time. Anwar’s interregnum period ends April next year.

Anwar was still very determined to be elected this year’s convention. When he met the press corp at the tea break after his own speech, he said so, very confidently. A few minutes later he changed his mind. He withdrew his own nomination, just like that.

It was a moment of anti climax.

Joceline Tan, who calls it Anwar having his own silat show and sandiwara, has the story on today’s Sunday Star (www.thestar.com.my):

Day of high drama at PKR congress

AnalysisBy JOCELINE TAN

WHEN Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim strolled into the press area during coffee break, he was still defiant about becoming the next president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

“Yes, I’m going for it. Who cares about the Registrar of Societies (ROS)?” he said.

It was the first day of the PKR congress. Party president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had just delivered her policy speech and voting for the new leadership line-up was about to begin.

Asked if he was going to risk being an illegal president, Anwar mumbled something about his party lawyers having looked into the matter.

But his do-and-be-damned stance was just a stunt. Anwar had already decided not to take the risk.

As he left the press area, several party people, including lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah, surrounded him whispering furiously and pressuring him to change his mind.

“Anwar is very prone to thinking with his heart but I think this time his head will rule his heart,” said Anwar’s long-time friend Datuk Ravi Dharan.

When the congress reconvened after the break, Anwar was invited onstage to “make an announcement.”

He related how ROS had notified him at 4.30pm on Friday that the party would be de-registered if he contested. He was pulling out because he was not prepared to sacrifice the party with the general election so close.

The hall erupted in dismay. Permanent chairman Ismaili Hishammudin had to give in to pressure that Anwar listen to views from the floor before reaching a final decision

It was high drama and one delegate after another spoke, one of them almost breaking into tears.

The man at the centre of it all sat looking calmly over the tempest raging below.

He was rather casually dressed for such a big occasion. His baju Melayu top was worn loosely over his kain samping and he had eschewed shoes for leather slippers. His bad back was acting up again for he walked with a slight limp.

They wanted him to contest but he had made up his mind. He would be their leader and Dr Wan Azizah their president.

And just as everyone thought that the high emotions had come to a close, Abdul Rahman Othman, the third contestant to the president’s post, declared he was also withdrawing.

This time the hall exploded in a standing ovation. Within seconds, Rahman, ostracised following his bid for the top post, became a hero of sorts. Ismaili had tears in his eyes when he hugged and congratulated Rahman.

Rahman claimed it was a spontaneous act on his part after listening to Anwar’s appeal, although he admitted later that he had “accidentally met” Anwar at a local hotel the previous night and they had chatted for an hour.

Journalists watching the turn of events wondered if there was anything at all spontaneous that morning. There had obviously been quite a bit of choreography behind the scenes.

Anwar and those close to him were well aware of the perils of challenging the ROS. The law is the law, even if one deems the law unjust.

But posturing Anwar as the potential president brought the supporters out in droves. And challenging the ROS gave the party a huge boost of morale.

There was, said one journalist, lots of shock and awe and, if P. Ramlee were still alive, he would have loved to make a movie out of it.

It was superb political strategy and the outpouring of emotions confirmed his standing in the party.

On top of all this, the ROS played an unwitting supporting role to the political melodrama.

Anwar had accused the ROS and the powers behind it of silat and sandiwara in blocking him at the eleventh hour but he was apparently not above his own brand of silat and sandiwara. It was Anwar at his Machiavellian best.

Dr Wan Azizah was the only one who did not seem rehearsed. She was truly the eye of the storm, still demure and sweet-tempered after so many years of rough-and-tumble opposition politics. And still stuck with a job she has never really wanted.

**********************

Is this the kind of leader who almost became Prime Minister once?

Obviously consistency is not a trait of this man. Some politicians have been described as slime and scumbag, but Anwar Ibrahim’s ability to play drama and put up a sandiwara had been incorrigible and incurably unbearable. First it was the arsenic poisoning, then neck thingy. The most recent was Court of Appeal turned down his application to sue Dr. Mahathir Mohamad for unlawful dismissal then as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister on 2 Sept 1998, a complete waste of everyone’s time and resources. One drama after another.

How much further this opera will go on?

Fate had made Dr. Mahathir Mohamad changed his mind. Remember, Anwar was convicted for a six year jail term for abusing his powers as the Deputy Prime Minister. This the same man who almost covered for Tom Wolfowitz for his mistress’s scandal in the IMF.

* An update, Monday 28 May 2007. Without doubt PKR is Party Anwar. A true blue Party Anwar. Everything about PKR now is about Anwar and his friends. Wan Hamidi of NST has the story:

2007/05/28

Parti Keadilan Rakyat CONGRESS

Anwar’s tried and true inner circle

A DAY after he was appointed de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim did not waste time in showing off his power over Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

After the full results of the party polls were announced yesterday, instead of incumbent president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail, it was Anwar who announced the appointment of national leaders to complement the elected office-bearers.

Among his prominent appointees was Saifuddin Nasution, a former party stalwart who was PKR’s Lunas assemblyman from 2000 to 2004 before he left active politics due to personal differences with some party leaders.

Saifuddin, once a staunch reformasi activist, is attached to a Pas state government agency assisting the poor in Kelantan. Now he has a major role to play in PKR.

He was appointed PKR’s strategic adviser under the party’s powerful political bureau headed by Anwar, along with party election director Azmin Ali, who retained his vice president’s post.
Anwar also appointed former women’s wing chief Fuziah Salleh as Azmin’s deputy. Fuziah lost in the contest for the party’s three elected vice-presidents.

The former deputy prime minister also rewarded loyalists Sivarasah Rasiah and Dr Jeffrey Kitingan to the two appointed vice-presidencies, and promoted treasurer Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who lost his bid in the Ijok by-election recently, as secretary-general.

The new treasurer is his personal friend William Leong, while information chief Tian Chua is retained.

Party insiders believe Anwar will strengthen his grip by appointing more trusted friends and supporters for the five seats in the party’s supreme council and for each of the posts of state liaison chief.

“If necessary, he will create a few more posts. Yes, it may be the appointment of his friends and close allies, but it will be good for the party to work towards a common goal,” said an insider.

There are others unhappy with the situation, fearing it will create an elite based on one man’s personality. But these disgruntled members may have forgotten the reason the party was formed.

This will be a different PKR as Anwar, whatever his followers call him, leads the party from the front towards creating an impact in the next general election.

Azmin announced that the party had identified 60 parliamentary and 120 state seats to fight for and would meet Pas and DAP separately to form an electoral pact.

“We’re going to tell our allies that it’s not necessary for a Chinese-majority seat to be contested by DAP and a Malay-majority one by Pas. There are new considerations for us to look into.”

The three-day PKR congress was nothing special in terms of debate and quality of discussion but it had sporadic surprises and thrills.

There was even a faction calling itself the “Enlightenment” group which caused a minor stir in some, and disgust in others. Yet a couple of their candidates succeeded in the party polls.

One of them, Khalid Jaafar, who won a supreme council seat, claimed that it was a fresh start for believers of freedom and openness to espouse their ideas against the welfare state, religious orthodoxy and racial supremacy.

But it will be a tough task for this group as party members seem comfortable with heavy state subsidies, price controls, salary caps and other forms of taxation on the rich to help the poor.

For new Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin, it was more than just personality politics — younger members want to lead the way in promoting Anwar’s ideals and policies to the grassroots.

“We will be different from the previous leadership in terms of creating more grassroots leaders instead of depending on certain individuals,” he said.

While little mention was made of former Youth chief Ezam Mohd Noor, allegedly behind some of the agitation in the Youth wing a few days ago, it was Anwar who came to his defence.

“I thank Ezam for creating the Youth movement for the party and appreciate all that he has done,” he said.

Whether that was sincerely meant, only PKR members, especially the next generation leaders, can decide.

They have a tough job to do. Anwar’s words have always been sweet to their ears but to win as many seats as possible in the next general election, that is a totally different proposition.

RTM TV 1 this afternoon featured a telemovie titled as above. It was a story about the lives of police personnel and their families. The part of society we conveniently forget and take for granted, although by being there, providing us the blanket of cover for security, we sleep better every night.

Through the years, many of them gave up their lives, including their innocent families dragged into it, because the call of duty. On such incidence was the attack on Bukit Kepong Police Station, on 23 February 1950. 200 communist terrorists attacked and burn to the ground the police station and killed 14 police personnel including the station chief, Sgt. Jamil Md. Shah and 11 others non combatant including the families some of these policemen. The family of one constable, PC Abu Mohd Ali was completely wiped out in this bloody attack.

These are the people within our society often taken for granted in our comfortable daily lives. It is a good effort that the story featured this afternoon and depicts how these part of the Malaysian lives weather through their own daily dos. This particular show today was about the police and their anti narcotics operations. One corporal was killed and the painful torment that the family had to endure with the passing of their husband’s and father’s passing.

This is the typical kind of tragedy the Police Force and the families live through, every single day. It is up to us, the Malaysian public to appreciate the Police Force and their families more. Because they are there, we sleep better at night, every night.

“Rumblings in the interior”. Trouble brewed in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) again and this time it was at the eve of this year’s annual convention in Seremban.Today, Dato’ S. Nallakaruppan resigned from the party. His deep disappointment was the primary cause. This is no ordinary ‘indigestion’.

This was his press statement:

Press Statement

I thank those of you who are gathered here today and PKR party members who have given me their full support.

I have been asked by the Advisor not to compete for the position of Vice President in the election to be held on 26-5—2007 in order to give way to his blue-eyed boy and so called “first choice”, Azmin Ali, I have no other alternatives but to follow instructions, As such, I submitted my letter of withdrawal on Friday, 18-5-2007.

I joined PKR believing in the spirit of multicultural and multiracial politics. Various assurances were given by the party leadership on my role with PKR, especially amongst the Indian community. After the recent events, I no longer have confidence in the leadership of PKR including the current Advisor, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim was a close friend of mine but it seems we are apart now. I feel let down as a Malaysian Indian and have sympathy and empathy for the plight of my community and its struggles. To remain faithful to my community and my ideals, I am prepared to sacrifice my friendship with the Advisor of PKR and the leadership of the party.

Therefore, I hereby announce that I am tendering my resignation as a member of PKR and will relinquish all positions held by me in the party with immediate effect.

Thank you

Dato’ Nalla K.S

Bernama online, www.bernama.com, has the story for the special media conference at Grand Seasons Hotel today:

Nallakaruppan Quits PKR

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 (Bernama) — “I have known him for 30 years, I visited him when he was in prison in Sungai Buloh, that’s how close we are, and when he asked me to join PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat), I did because I thought PKR could fight for the Indian community, I was wrong.”

“I was let down and now I’m prepared to sacrifice my friendship with (Datuk Seri) Anwar (Ibrahim) because now I know there is no place for Indians in the party.”

Those were the words uttered by Kepong PKR chief Datuk K. Nallakaruppan when announcing his resignation from the party with immediate effect at a news conference here today.

Also announcing their resignation at the news conference were Klang PKR chief P. Krishnasamy and Segambut PKR deputy chief S. Maniselvam. All of them will submit their resignation letters to the party on Monday.

Nallakaruppan also said that more Indian members would tender their resignation as they were his loyal followers.

“I’m not going to force them to leave the party, it’s up to them, but if they want to stay then let them suffer,” he said claiming that for the past year he had brought in about 10,000 Indians to join PKR.

Nallakaruppan who joined PKR in August last year, however, denied his decision to quit was prompted by Anwar’s meddling in the party’s election scheduled this Saturday.

“Yes, he asked me to withdraw from the election to pave way for his blue-eyed boy Azmin Ali, despite the fact that I’ve received the second highest nominations in the contest for vice-presidents. But I withdrew out of respect for him.

“But that’s not the reason I quit. I quit because PKR doesn’t care about the Indians. This was clearly evident in the Lunas by-election and the one in Ijok recently,” he said alleging that Anwar had promised him that an Indian candidate would be fielded in Ijok but changed his mind later.

Asked whether Anwar, who is also PKR adviser, had tried to talk him out of quitting, Nallakaruppan said he was told by some friends that Anwar was trying to contact him.

— BERNAMA

Recently, he came into the mainstream political spotlight as someone who was said supposedly to be pitted at Ijok on the PKR at the 28 April 2007 by-election upon the demise of Dato’ Sivalingam, However he was stood up against the Malay former corporate giant Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who eventually lost to an unknown teacher, K. Parthiban (BN).

The amount and magnitude of the Ijok campaign were used by many party to described Anwar’s and PKR’s worsened performance (compared to the March 2004 General Election’s results) as “Anwar’s Waterloo”. Anwar, on the otherhand, blamed it on ‘phantom voters’, still.

Anwar’s accomplice

This is the same S. Nallakaruppan mentioned where SAC II Musa Hassan, then Assitant Director of CID (now Tan Sri Musa Hassan, Inspector General of Police), Royal Malaysian Police produced an affidavit in the trial of Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim for abusing his power as the Deputy Prime Minister:

CID Assistant Director SAC II Musa Hassan, in his affidavit affirmed in Kuala Lumpur on 2nd September 1998 at 4 p.m. made the following allegations:

“9. In conducting the investigations, apart from obtaining the testimony of witnesses, documents, corroborative testimony and forensic testimony, seven witnesses have also made written statements to the police which are as follows:

“9.1 A male witness has stated that he was sodomised by Datuk Seri Anwar 15 times. The homosexual activity was conducted at several locations including an apartment in Tivoli Villa in Bangsar. This apartment is owned by a company of which Nallakaruppan is one of the directors who has access to the said apartment.

“9.2 A witness has made a statement that the witness suspected that the witness’s in-law had a sexual relationship with Datuk Seri Anwar and it took place at the Tivoli Villa apartment.

“9.3 The former personal driver of Nallakaruppan in his statement said that he had brought Datuk Seri Anwar with Nallakaruppan to a particular location for illicit sex. He had been assigned by Nallakaruppan to pick up women of Chinese, Mexican, Eurasian and other descent for illicit sex. Once, after returning from the Tivoli Villa apartment, this witness drove the car for Datuk Seri Anwar, Nallakaruppan and a woman, and that Datuk Seri Anwar had on a wig.

“9.4 A witness involved in supplying women for the purpose of prostitution stated that Nallakaruppan had contacted him to procure illegal sexual services. This witness stated that he had also supplied such women to Nallakaruppan on several occassons.

“9.5 A female witness stated that Nallakaruppan had introduced her to Datuk Seri Anwar while in the car. The three of them subsequently went to the Tivoli Villa apartment. In a room in the said apartment the witness stated that she was molested and she also stated that Datuk Seri Anwar kept pleading with her to have a sexual relationship but she refused. She said that Nallakaruppan was in the apartment at the time.

“9.6 Another female witness stated that she had been brought by Nallakarupan to a bungalow and introduced to Datuk Seri Anwar. This witness stated that she was asked to enter a room, which Datuk Seri Anwar subsequently entered and proceeded to kiss her, and hug her while pinning her down. She said she resisted having sex with him by bluffing that she was menstruating.

“9.7 Another female witness who worked at the company where Nallakaruppan was a director, stated that she was taken to the Tivoli Villa apartment by Nallakaruppan in a car driven by Nallakaruppan himself. At the apartment, she was surprised to meet Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim there. They had sex. After having had sex with Datuk Seri Anwar, the witness stated that they discussed the political affairs of the country. Nallakaruppan gave the witness RM350.

“9.8 The police also have evidence that Nallakaruppan had given RM60mil cash to Datuk Seri Anwar during the general elections in 1995.

“9.9 There is also evidence that that Nallakaruppan had transferred his activities to an apartment in Impiana Court, Ampang, after the initial investigations in relation to the poison pen letter on the Datuk Seri Anwar Sex Scandal in August 1997. This apartment is owned by a company, listed on the Main Board of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, where he is one of the directors. These illegal sexual activities continued although police investigations had commenced.

****************

Apparently, Nallakaruppan was an accomplice in Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy case. He had been Anwar’s tennis partner and provided all sort of ‘entertainment’ for Anwar Ibrahim, locally and abroad, when he was a Director with Magnum. So when Nallakaruppan claimed he had been a friend to Anwar for years, it was a strong case why he stood by Anwar till this point. Now, it is over.

Evolution

PKR was an evolution from the street mob ‘Reformasi’ movement, which was solidified into a political party in 1999 known as Parti Keadilan Rakyat or KeAdilan. In 2003, it merged with the more experienced but deadish Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) to evolve into Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). Even though the majority prefer not to have the merger but because Anwar wanted it and passed the message from Sungai Buloh Prison, they pushed for the merger anyway. There on, most of the PRM mainstays were sidelined and most of them faded away.

“Indian Mutiny” within PKR

This resignation clearly shows PKR is never a multiracial party as it vehemently claimed to be. This is not the first time Indians have had major issues with the top management of the party. Gopalakrishnan and Dr. Xavier were names in these KeAdilan skirmishes that involved the Indians within the party. Actually, sources from within the problem the party have been having this problem since 1999. What happened today was a development that actually brewed for a while. “Indian Mutiny within PKR”, somebody said today.

Even amongst the Indians within PKR, they have had problems amongst themselves because of the diversity within the Indian ethnicity itself. Dr. Xavier Jayakumar’s case is an example of how Indians within PKR had a problem with their ethnic grouping. So, this was an inherent problem waiting to escalate. Its what the Malays say it as “retak menunggu belah“.

Anwarism = Favourtism + Nepotism

Infact, PKR is about Anwar Ibrahim and he decides who-should-be-where-doing-what. This episode where Nallakaruppan was asked to withdraw his intention to run for the Vice President in favour of Azmin Ali said it all. The management of PKR is now about Anwar Ibrahim, Wan Azizah, his wife, Azmin Ali, the longtime trusted aide, Nurul Izzah Anwar, his dotting darling daughter and arrogantly incorrigible longtime buddy, Dato’ Kamarul Bahrin Abbas.

Now, we will see Anwar Ibrahim contesting as President although the law says otherwise as his interregnum period from serving a conviction is not over yet. However, with 120 nominations, he is still going for it. Never the less, Wan Azizah is running too. This is a safety net if and when his election into office is nullified by the Registrar of Society (ROS).

Nepotism and favourtism, his strongest supporter and stooge in UMNO Youth barked against Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s Presidency in the June 1998 UMNO Annual Assembly? How different is it now in PKR?

The truth will prevail. Anwar was convicted for abuse of power as the Deputy Prime Minister in 1999. Now it clearly shows Anwar’s ability and propensity to do so. all along. It seemed, bit by bit, the true colours of Anwar is clearly illustrated.

PKR is better of called Parti Anwar because it clearly what it is.

This exodus of leaders leaving PKR is nothing new. Previously, strong personalities like Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, Dr. Jomo K. Sundram, Dato’ Marina Yusuf, Nell Onn, Ruslan Kassim, Lokman Noor Adam and Zainur Zakaria, his own defense lawyer, left him and this direction less futile and in vain struggle. Many pioneers of the ‘Reformasi’ movement and forming KeAdilan also left.

Anwar’s unlawful move

Will he make a mockery of the law to cry foul again, when ROS reprimand him or the party for going against the law? Then there will be a new song to sing and his current and previous tunes are no longer the ‘hype’ sounds to the public ear.

Malaysia bars Anwar from standing for party presidency

Posted: 26 May 2007 0104 hrs

KUALA LUMPUR : A Malaysian government agency Friday rejected an attempt by ex-deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim to run for president of the opposition party he advises, a move quickly condemned by his supporters.

Anwar was expected to win an election on Saturday to lead Keadilan, or the People’s Justice Party, despite being legally prohibited from standing for public office or holding a position with a political party until April 2008 because of a corruption conviction.

Anwar had applied to the Registrar of Societies to sidestep the ban, but the government department on Friday rejected his application.

“Anwar Ibrahim … received a notice from the Registrar of Societies (ROS) this afternoon, rejecting his application to contest,” Keadilan’s information chief Tian Chua said in a statement.

“Anwar has since filed an appeal to the home minister,” said Chua, adding the minister had the right to grant a waiver.

The party, which has been looking to Anwar’s star power to raise its profile ahead of an expected early general election, condemned the decision and said Anwar would still contest the party poll.

“Keadilan strongly condemns … the move by ROS as a deliberate ploy to prevent the re-emergence of Anwar Ibrahim into active political leadership,” said Chua.

“He has expressed his intention to go ahead with the elections tomorrow,” he said.

Anwar earlier told AFP in an interview he could still be effective in the party, now headed by his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, even if barred by the ROS.

“I can still work closely to bolster the party with Wan Azizah,” he said.

Wan Azizah said the party would concentrate its efforts on having Anwar “take over the helm of the party.”

“We hope that our appeal will be successful because we would like Anwar to have his right to contest as the president, as the nominations have been overwhelming for him,” Wan Azizah told AFP.

“I do see it as an attempt to prevent him from exercising that right,” she said.

Chua said he expected it could be “weeks or even months” before a decision was made on the appeal, and that Anwar and the party were prepared for any penalty for following through with the election.

“We are prepared to face the consequences,” Chua told AFP.

“We expect after Anwar becomes president there will be even more pressure and oppression from the authorities,” he said.

Anwar had been the heir-apparent to former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad until 1998, when he was sacked after sodomy and corruption charges that landed him in jail for six years.

The sodomy charges were overturned in 2004 and Anwar was set free, paving the way for his return to Malaysia’s political landscape.

– AFP /ls

******************

Soon, more will start the feel all these while being deceived by “entertainment maestro” Anwar Ibrahim.

Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has been discharged from IJN and allowed to go home. He is required to continue recuperating at home and minimize his activities for quite sometime. However, his daily therapy, to improve on his breathing, will have to continue.

This follows doctors’ satisfaction with the progress he had made to medication, treatment and rehabilitation procedures since admission on May 15.

Dr Mahathir was admitted to Langkawi Hospital on May 14 after having breathing difficulties while on the island before being transferred to IJN’s Cardiac Care Unit the following day.

Doctors later confirmed that he had suffered lung congestion associated with myocardial infarction in addition to exacerbation of underlying basal bronchitis of the lungs.

Dr Mahathir, was allowed to leave IJN at 2.50pm, and he was accompanied by his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamed Ali, his second son Datuk Mokhzani, his personal physician and a few nurses.

When he came out of the lift near the main entrance, he was greeted by several well-wishers, IJN staff and its executive officer Mohd Radzif Mohd Yunus.

A statement issued by IJN Thursday said Dr Mahathir was expected to continue chest physiotherapy and light exercises as part of his cardiac rehabilitation programme.

— BERNAMA

He was admitted at LangkawiHospital and treatment in the ICU for heart related respiratory illness whilst on private visit to the Island, 4.00pm Monday last week. A team of IJN doctors flew to provide him the medical care that evening and as soon he was stablised, he was flown to Kuala Lumpur at noon on Tuesday for further treatment at IJN. On Saturday evening he was allowed to leave the CCU and warded at one of the suites.

We pray to God for Tun Dr. Mahathir to recuperate well and fast at the comfort of his home now.

The man is my friend. Ishak Sejet. I knew him too well, those days. We were dorm mates. We were classmates. We were in the scouts together. He was the kind of friend everyone who love to have.

Sahak is aParit Bunga bloke, who went to do engineering at Brighton after sixth form. I have not seen or spoke to him for a long time. I have his number now but since yesterday, he had buried two of his off springs and his wife is critically fighting for her life in SerembanHospital ICU for 80% burns. Should I call him, I would not know what to say.

My prayers are with him and his family. I am too distraught to even call up my closest friend in the Alumni to tell him this horrifying story.

Man saves wife, son but loses daughter

SEREMBAN: When Ishak Sejet saw a car on fire after an accident, he rushed to help the trapped victims.

He was shocked to find his wife and two children in it screaming for help.With the help of passers-by, he managed to drag his wife and son out of the vehicle, but was unable to rescue his 9-year-old daughter who died in the flames.Ishak, a manager with MPOB Experimental Palm Oil Mill, had left his office with a friend and was on his way to lunch when he came across the burning car after it was involved in an accident at the entrance of the palm oil mill.”I was shocked when I realised my family was inside.

“After getting my wife and son out, the heat became intense and I couldn’t save my daughter,” said Ishak at the TuankuJaafarHospital yesterday.His wife, Noraishah Rashid, 40, and son, Mohd Iffat, 6 months, sustained 80 per cent burns and were later transferred to a hospital in Kuala Lumpur. Nur Azian, the couple’s fourth of six children, was buried at Noraishah’s hometown of Tanjung Keling, Malacca.Seremban acting police chief Superintendent Ahmad Mahmud said Nuraishah was waiting at the junction to turn into the mill at 12.45pm when an express bus rammed into her car.He said the Perodua Kancil was pushed to the opposite lane where another vehicle driven by a 44 year-old man slammed into it causing both vehicles to burst into flames.The driver of the other car escaped unhurt.Police have detained the driver of the express bus

* An update. I and few buddies drove down to Seremban in the afternoon to meet Sahak. We learnt he buried his nine year old daughter yesterday evening (she died instantly the accident) and this morning, he buried his six month old baby, who eventually passed away at Paediatrics Institute, Kuala LumpurHospital very early this morning.

When we saw him, we were simply unable to utter anything. He just cried when he saw our faces and a hug is all we could offer. After the crescendo of emotions simmered, Sahak explained the surgeons are trying their best to stabilise his wife and maintain enough survivality so that she could be transported either to HUKM or Kuala LumpurHospital as the TuankuJaafarHospital in Seremban did not have the facility to treat major burns cases. At the moment, she is struggling for her life.

Later some other ladies from our batch showed up to give Sahak the moral support. One of them is a GP herself, drove all the way from Bukit Beruntung in her MPV.

Our parting words for Sahak were to ask him to be strong and take it easy (have some rest), for his other four kids’ sake (aged 14 to seven) who were not involved in the tragic and dreadful accident.

** An update as of evening, Thursday 24 May 2007. Noraishah or Sahak’s wife, who suffered 80% burns from Monday’s accident, has been transferred to burns unit at 2nd Floor, Kuala LumpurHospital this afternoon. Hopefully, they would have better equipment and expertise to deal with cases like this.

*** An update as of noon, Monday 28 May, 2007. Noraishah Rashid, 40, Ishak’s Sejet wife and mother to four of their surviving children never recovered from her burns. She died this today at noon, at Kuala LumpurHospital. May Allah s.w.t. bless her soul and give Sahak the strength to carry on, for the other children.

The remains of Noraishah Rashid was bathed, wrapped in burial shroud (kapan) and prayers offered before released by Seremban Police at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital mortuary, 3.30 pm and brought back to her kampung in Tanjong Keling, Melaka. She was laid to rest at Maghrib.